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         AEQ

 NETBOX 4 MH

 

Audio over IP multichannel interface 

 

27 

 

 
Sometimes, when the control PC has several IP addresses configured, it is not possible to find 
the  NETBOX  devices  in  the  network  as  the  application  may  try  to  connect  them  using  an 
incorrect IP range. In this case, click on the “Local IP: x.x.x.x” button and a window will appear 
showing  the  different  networks  defined  in  the  PC.  Select  the  one  where  the  NETBOX  4  MH 
devices were addressed by "Netbox 4 MH Tool". 
 

 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Once the device to control has been selected, close the device selection window and the real 
time control screen for the chosen one will appear: 
 

 

Summary of Contents for NETBOX 4 MH

Page 1: ...USER S MANUAL ED 07 19 V 1 0 17 07 2019 Firmware Versions CPU 1 07 or higher AoIP Ultimo X CPU 4 1 6 7 or higher AoIP Ultimo 4x4 CPU 4 0 11 3 Switch Phy 1 0 2 5 or higher Software Versions NetBox 4 MH Tool 1 0 0 8 or higher NetBox 4 MH 1 0 0 10 or higher ...

Page 2: ...ion 11 3 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION 13 3 1 PC based configuration and control applications 13 3 2 NetBox 4 MH Tool configuration software 13 3 2 1 Introduction 13 3 2 2 Initial screen 14 3 2 2 1 Configurations submenu 14 3 2 2 2 GPIO s submenu 17 3 2 2 3 Remote IP submenu 19 3 2 2 4 About NetBox4MH Tool submenu 21 3 2 3 Upgrading Tools 21 3 3 NetBox4MH real time control RTC application 25...

Page 3: ...er IP multichannel interface 3 APPENDIX 3 SIGNALING AND CUT FUNCTIONS INSTALLATION WITH FORUM AND CAPITOL CONSOLES 44 A3 1 Example STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 control box NETBOX 4 MH CAPITOL IP 44 APPENDIX 4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 49 ...

Page 4: ...te website for more details on Dante http www audinate com 1 2 Description of NETBOX 4 MH audio interface It is an audio over IP multichannel interface used to insert and extract signaling and audio channels to from a Dante system especially suitable for booths and other areas where microphone or line inputs and headphone or line outputs are required This product is designed to cover the need for ...

Page 5: ...ere is a switch for each input at the front panel that allows for the selection of the sensitivity for microphone or line level compatibility Each of the 4 inputs is sent to the Dante network with the name assigned by the user to the device using the configuration software and these default labels NBOX4MH_1L NBOX4MH_1R NBOX4MH_2L NBOX4MH_2R 1 3 2 Audio outputs The unit has 4 receiver circuits from...

Page 6: ... 4 fader pairs with an adjustment range within 0dB and HP1 headphone output shares its level regulation with LIN1 HP2 with LIN 2 while HP3 and HP3 have independent controls Also some selection buttons are shown in the application which define whether each fader pair takes its signal from the Primary Pair or from the Secondary Pair In practice the internal circuitry allows the user to connect up to...

Page 7: ... control software indicates the actual position of these switches 2 1 3 48V Phantom supply switch When each of these switches is depressed and operating in microphone mode the corresponding 48V phantom supply is turned on as required by condenser microphones In order to prevent accidental pressing of the buttons these switches are embedded in the front panel and must be accessed to with the aid of...

Page 8: ...epending on whether it is an output or an input at a level below 60dBFS Green LED channel is transmitting receiving audio depending on whether it is an output or an input at a level between 60dBFS and 20dBFS Amber LED channel is transmitting receiving audio depending on whether it is an output or an input at a level between 20dBFS and 10dBFS Red LED the channel is saturated or clipping above 10dBF...

Page 9: ...ignal the ON AIR status while the remaining 7 GPI can be used to control cough cut pre listen functions or remote control on different Forum or Capitol consoles from a booth equipped with STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 connected to a NETBOX 4 MH GPO connector RJ45 connector with two 24V supplied relay outputs Max current capability 250 mA It should be connected to connector 2 in the STUDIOBOX marked with a d...

Page 10: ...in 7 GPO 3 Pin 15 GND_GPO 1 4 Pin 8 GPO 4 Remarks please note that a common ground GND is provided for inputs and another one exists for outputs Pin 12 supplies a 5V reference voltage to ease wiring 2 2 5 Analog Outputs The physical connector used is DB15 female with the following pinout Pin 1 ANALOG 1 OUT Pin 9 ANALOG 1 OUT Pin 2 GND Pin 10 GND Pin 3 ANALOG 2 OUT Pin 11 ANALOG 2 OUT Pin 4 GND Pin...

Page 11: ...Vdc supply from NETBOX 4 MH to STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 and they could cause damage if accidentally connected to a switch or the wrong connector within STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 2 3 STUDIOBOX and SCR 03 control box description Both models are functionally equivalent Controls and indicators MUTE or CUT Microphone MUTE key TECH T BACK or CUE PFL key USERS KEYS 1 5 Configurable buttons with LED activation indic...

Page 12: ...the RED LIGHT of the box would be associated to GPI 1 activation and the GREEN LIGHT to GPI 2 On the other hand when you press the TECH T BACK or CUE key the GPO 1 will be activated The same thing happens with MUTE or CUT key and GPO 2 USERS KEY 1 and GPO 3 and USERS KEY 2 and GPO 4 Other available option is to manage the STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 control box by means of virtual GPIOs See section 3 2 2 ...

Page 13: ...processed by NETBOX 4 MH 3 2 NetBox 4 MH Tool configuration software 3 2 1 Introduction NetBox 4 MH Tool application is the control and configuration software for NETBOX 4 MH Its installation is recommended on a single PC which can be even a laptop that may be disconnected once the system is properly configured The auto run disc furnished with this unit contains the executable file that installs t...

Page 14: ...nt On the left side of the screen all the relevant menus and submenus are available These are drop down menus and are activated by clicking on the desired option 3 2 2 1 Configurations submenu Configurations submenu accessed from the drop down menu Administration by clicking on the corresponding icon allows you to configure and control the communication between application and physical equipment W...

Page 15: ... checkbox within the Switch Ethernet section when it is in the Switch position the most flexible of all the unit can be controlled from any of its ports When it is in the vlan position adequate for audio and control networks separation the control network configured in the PC where the applications are installed must reach the device through the upper LAN 1 Ethernet port Once this section is confi...

Page 16: ...gured the changes will be applied by pressing Change Ip Address button Confirmation is requested then the unit will reset If there is more than one NETBOX 4 MH device reachable in the network each of them must be individually connected and its IP changed to a unique value in order to avoid network conflicts This is done in the Device Address section fields This procedure is mandatory and required ...

Page 17: ...03 GPO RJ45 connector When you press any of the 4 numbered 1 2 3 4 buttons in GPO s section it is lighted in amber and the corresponding GPO of the unit changes to active status in case that GPO is configured as HIGH the circuit between the corresponding pin and the ground pin in DB15 connector of the unit gets open in case that GPO is configured as Low the circuit between the corresponding pin an...

Page 18: ... it will change to an intense color and the corresponding GPO in the device will shift to active status When the key has a pale colour the GPO will turn on when clicking on it If the configuration is set to Low operation of the keys works the other way round the pale representation of the keys correspond to ON keys and when the user clicks on any of them the color is intensified and the lights are...

Page 19: ...as MUTE and TECH T BACK or CUT and CUE in the case of SCR 03 operate only when they are pressed down Virtual GPI O in AEQ systems application note available at www aeq es explains how to configure these GPI in order to produce the remote cut and pre listen control actions on different control consoles from a radio booth In order to use these GPIs from third party non AEQ devices please contact AEQ...

Page 20: ...39 4 The control of virtual GPIs 1 to 4 is received from a device with IP 172 31 39 15 using the same Id numbering from 245 to 242 at both ends and activating the local physical GPOs 1 to 4 The control of RED and GREEN physical GPOs is received from a console with IP 172 31 39 16 using the same Id numbering 241 and 240 at both ends On the other hand the virtual GPOs 1 to 4 corresponding to the sta...

Page 21: ...re Upgrade is a maintenance menu that allows you to update the firmware versions of the unit IMPORTANT NOTE 1 Any operation in this Firmware Upgrade section should only be accomplished by qualified personnel in possession of all necessary technical information relative to this system and with the possibility to establish a direct communication with AEQ Technical Service support aeq es IMPORTANT NO...

Page 22: ...ssociated firmware The following icon represents unit s micro or CPU In order to upgrade the unit s firmware place the pointer on its name press the right mouse button and then the Upgrade option that appears In the new window that shows up press the button and select the AFU upgrading file AEQ Firmware Upgrade that contains the new version you want to load Once it s selected the following window ...

Page 23: ...it shows information regarding old and new versions of the module to be upgraded IMPORTANT NOTE You should not act on the system and you must never turn off the equipment during the upgrading process since this action may deprogram the module that you are trying to upgrade Log View submenu accessed from the drop down menu Administration by clicking on the corresponding icon represents the record c...

Page 24: ...AEQ NETBOX 4 MH Audio over IP multichannel interface 24 ...

Page 25: ...u must give at least administrator permission to the executable file The application should be installed on a PC for every location where control of any of the NETBOX 4 MH devices in the AoIP network is required as the application allows for control of one or several devices and control can also be shared among various instances of the application running from different PCs Once Netbox4MH is insta...

Page 26: ...ne of them is selected by clicking on its name it will be highlighted in grey and connection with it will be attempted by pressing the Connect button More units can be added by clicking on the button A window will show up that allows the user to type their IP addresses in and then their names will appear Initially the name will be presented as unknown after actual connection is established with ea...

Page 27: ...on may try to connect them using an incorrect IP range In this case click on the Local IP x x x x button and a window will appear showing the different networks defined in the PC Select the one where the NETBOX 4 MH devices were addressed by Netbox 4 MH Tool Once the device to control has been selected close the device selection window and the real time control screen for the chosen one will appea...

Page 28: ...OX o SCR 03 signaling box related GPIs and GPOs Central area Input control This section allows for adjustment of the input level for each of the four inputs The settings will be stored in the device Also the status of the micro line and phantom power supply switches is indicated for each channel A B C D E F G Indicators and switches for GPOs 1 to 4 testing from the application active ones are disp...

Page 29: ... or SECONDARY See electrical diagram in section 1 3 2 The adjustments made and the status of the switches are stored within the unit K L M Highlighted in white informs about the status of the 4 MIC LIN switches at the front of the unit Level adjust for all inputs whose MIC LIN switch is in the MIC position Line level inputs have no level adjustment Highlighted in green shows the status of the Phan...

Page 30: ...pears remarked 3 3 4 Concurrently controlling of devices In order to concurrently control more than one device from the same PC several instances of the RTC application can be open according to the following procedure One of them is open by double clicking on the icon of the desktop When double clicking on the same icon again the control window for the same device NETBOX4MH 01 appears Afterwards t...

Page 31: ...also be concurrently controlled from two PCs In order to avoid operating errors a password can be defined for every NETBOX 4 MH in order to limit the number of PCs it can be controlled from If a password has been defined for NETBOX 4 MH using the NetBox 4 MH Tool configuration application then whenever a PC requests control on it the following dialogue will appear If the Remember password checkbox...

Page 32: ... the connected NETBOX 4 MH unit regarding its Ethernet interface MAC control IP address mask and gateway its name and its Switch Ethernet configuration whether audio and control networks are independent or not In case that any of the parameters needs to be changed it must be done by means of NetBox 4 MH Tool configuration application see section 3 2 2 1 of this manual ...

Page 33: ...on usable for separate audio and data connections or common connections when in switch mode Binary data rates 10 100 Mbps Maximum segment cable length 100 meters using CAT5e or better cabling Software specifications NetBox 4 MH Tool application running on Windows operating systems that provides the following functionality Device IP address name and password configuration Device s GPIO configuratio...

Page 34: ...ling quiet natural convection cooling compatible with operation inside the studio Temperature operating range 10 to 45 º C 14 to 114 º F FR CAB INP cabling accessories compatible audio outputs CP CAB GPIO cabling accessories compatible general GPIs and GPOs Easy to install The unit has the width of half a 19 rack and is provided with two fixing brackets two lateral plates that can be fixed to the ...

Page 35: ... microphones CUE Sends the sound of the microphone to the technician USERS KEYS 1 5 Configurable buttons Lights GREEN LIGHT Usually operating as closed microphones indicator RED LIGHT Usually operating as open microphone s indicator Dimensions and weight Width 130 mm Height 55 3 mm Depth 174 mm 660 grams February 2017 Specifications are subject to evolutionary changes Download the latest version o...

Page 36: ... does not comply with these conditions will not be accepted 3 AEQ will at its own cost repair the faulty product once returned including the necessary labour to carry out such repair whenever the failure is caused by defects of the materials design or workmanship The repair will be carried out in any of the AEQ authorized Technical Service Centre This guarantee does not include the freight charges...

Page 37: ...BOX 4 MH does NOT allow redundant operation A1 1 Using Dante Controller to route audio in NETBOX 4 MH devices This is a typical Routing window in Dante Controller In this example a bidirectional communication has been established between a NETBOX 4 MH device named NETBOX4MH 01 and a CAPITOL IP audio console named CAPITOL IP1 NETBOX4MH 01 sends its 4 channels NBOX4MH_1L NBOX4MH_1R NBOX4MH_2L and NB...

Page 38: ...nd NBOX4MH_2R So that they can be internally routed by NETBOX 4 MH to all 4 headphone outputs In case that dynamic operation is required using another console for example the mentioned CAPITOL IP 1 and another one named FORUM IP 1 signal from the microphones can be distributed to both consoles in parallel However it is not possible to receive the signal to be routed to the headphones from two plac...

Page 39: ...to change studio is by using the Receive tab of the Device View window corresponding to NETBOX4MH 01 For example with the CAPITOL IP1 console being connected we can highlight the FORUM IP1 channels that we want to connect and drag them to the first channel to be substituted ...

Page 40: ...AEQ NETBOX 4 MH Audio over IP multichannel interface 40 Audio switching will be immediate even if the crosspoint display may take a few seconds to be updated ...

Page 41: ...on properly installed and configured according to its manual A2 1 2 Preparing the PC and software applications Prepare one or several PCs with the configuration and control applications installed as explained in section 3 Two different IP ranges must be assigned one for audio and another one for control If two network cards are installed in the PC as in the example control 172 31 39 x audio 192 16...

Page 42: ...ave the Phantom 48V option highlighted Otherwise act on the device s switches A2 1 2 3 Dante Controller In this Dante Controller routing window we can get information about the crosspoints to be made Crosspoints need to be established to send the audio from the CAPITOL IP 1 console studio monitoring channels named PRIMARY and SECONDARY to the input circuits of NETBOX4MH 01 NBOX4MH_1L NBOX4MH_1R NB...

Page 43: ... Transmit tab of the Device View corresponding to each device are displayed in green indicating that the transmitting devices are putting audio into the network Monitoring and creating routings Prepare the receiving channels in the devices mixing consoles and NETBOX 4 MH to receive and monitor audio Subscribe as seen in the pictures the audio input channels within each device to the output channel...

Page 44: ...L prefader listening The 4 first user keys USER1 USER4 will activate deactivate each of the 4 microphone lines MIC1 to MIC4 sent by NETBOX 4 MH Fifth key USER5 will control a light in the console that will blink indicating the studio technician that the commentators need some help Device data NETBOX 4 MH IP address 172 31 39 4 CAPITOL IP IP address 172 31 34 11 Physical connection of the STUDIOBOX...

Page 45: ... and virtual GPIs with Id 1 and 2 are used for the lights while virtual GPOs with Id 5 to 11 are used for the dedicated and user keys Once one of the sections is configured by previously pressing the Edit button press the associated Change Config button in order to apply the changes and once the reset of the unit is produced configure the other section by pressing Edit and then Change Config then ...

Page 46: ...ill be used to realize it First we will define which Virtual GPI and GPOs to use filling in NETBOX 4 MH IP address 172 31 39 4 preserving the same identifiers configured in NETBOX 4 MH In total there are 7 virtual GPIs and 2 virtual GPOs to be configured in the Board Configuration submenu of Hardware Configuration menu Please check section 4 2 of CAPITOL IP user s manual ...

Page 47: ...unction will be associated to virtual GPI 7 This function will be configured in the I O Configuration submenu of Hardware Configuration menu selecting input MIC 1 Only the Remote ON OFF function will be configured for the rest of microphones MIC2 to MIC4 and it will be assigned to STUDIOBOX or SCR 03 user keys 2 3 and 4 respectively For example this corresponds to Virtual GPI 9 for MIC 3 This is d...

Page 48: ... the studio that the commentators need some assistance This is done under in the Programmable Keys submenu of Programmable Configuration menu see section 4 3 2 of CAPITOL IP user s manual Last we need to configure console signaling using virtual GPOs under Studio Room Section of Monitoring Configuration submenu of Hardware Configuration menu see section 4 2 4 of CAPITOL IP user s manual and we wil...

Page 49: ...uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual may cause harmful interference to radio communications Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense Dante is a trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd Product inc...

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